This blog isn't as popular as it used to be. If I have any new readers from the last 2ish years.... they might not know that this blog used to be more about "matters of the day" rather than humor and stories and fun stuff. I was actually quite known in the world of promoting rational thinking and being pro-science and stuff.
I took down about 50 articles, some which were quite good, but I didn't want the problems that arise from having opinions on real life matters anymore. A lot of the articles taken down were just opinions on global issues and stuff. They weren't as funny as I wanted to them to be because they dealt with opinions on real life matters.
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| "To Deric, James Randi" |
I remember meeting James Randi once many many years ago. He signed my copy of Carl Sagan's Cosmos. That's a lot of name dropping in that previous sentence but it's true (See photo on right hand side). Randi, passed away fairly recently. I became sort of very passionate about rational thinking after meeting him. I remember feeling like it was normal to be the way that I was after meeting someone who devoted his life to it.
Now-a-days on the internet and in real life it's far more "ok" to be a Rational person who doesn't take much interest to magicks and fantasy... but a decade ago, especially on the internet, fantasy n' magic n' craziness was the norm. I see in the young people world it's very "ok" to be a rational person these days. But, to be this kind of person two decades ago was still quite difficult. I was in a complete minority, for the most part, as a person being an advocate of rational thinking and science and who openly did not believe in any hocus, nor pocus, or even hallomagocus.
I stopped writing those essays for the most part... not really because I stopped caring about that... but because I saw the pendulum swing closer to the center and felt the need to promote science and rationality had dissipated due to other people taking the mantle and the young people world embracing it far more easily than older generations did. I do not see the same fervent rejection of rationality that I did twenty years ago.... so I just let it be and moved on... and started writing fiction about alligators or whatever.
One I deleted which was too heavy to think about and bringing people down was about that the 2020s era was likely going to be a health care crisis due to the stats I had seen regarding Canadian demographics. All baby boomers were gonna hit elderly age at the same time, most baby boomers are over weight, and the health care system and our leaders were mainly worried about whether we could cure silly things with magic.... so yeah... that one wasn't received well and was written probably in 2017, I think.
It doesn't seem so "heavy" now though... as it is now 2021... and Canada is in a health care crisis. So... let's think about some stuff.
I don't want to be an "I told you so" kinda guy and I'm not a problem pointer-outer either .... I think that both of those qualities in a human is redundant and pointless. So, let's think of some things that can possibly help us in this current crisis instead of doing any of that.
What are the main three problems that are causing hospital over crowding? I believe now it is:
1) Vaccine Hesitancy
2) Obesity
3) Large Amounts of People Aging into Elderlyhood at the Exact Same Time
Three is a fact that can't be altered or changed. It is how it is.
Two has always been an issue. I mean, I was reading in the city of Houston that close to 65% of people by 2025 will be considered Obese. Not over weight but legit like physically handicapped due to their own eating. That's not good... but I don't have the answers to this. I was watching this British show called "Only Human" where they do a lot of over weight people segments... and yeah.... obesity all over the world is probably our #2 global health care problem. I don't have any suggestions for Obesity pandemic, which is a minor pandemic in its own right, so I won't throw any out.
So today's article is about "Vaccine Hesitancy in Canada"...
Why only in Canada? Because USA isn't having this issue. They are clocking in at 150 million people vaccinated and it's only April. That's all their at-risk population and they are now climbing into a good chunk of their non-at-risk as well. One Hundred and Fifty MILLION! That's actually quite amazing to think of. They are good at this!
So what's the hold up in Canada? I think they can't move away from the "at-risk" population and hit the rest yet because of hesitancy amongst the 60+ population.
So what is the biggest difference between USA and Canada? Is it supply? Maybe. Is it roll out? Maybe. Is it something else?
It's honestly..... lack of celebrities. I know that sounds silly.... but..... it is.
I have seen on twitter... literally almost every American 50+ celebrity I follow from sports to movies to tv shows to music... all posting photos of themselves getting it. All of them. Band aids on arms ABOUNDS! It is a proud thing for them to do and the rest of their people are saying to themselves things like "hey if it's okay for Fergie Jenkins... then it's okay for Me!" or "hey if it's okay for TV's Frank then it must be okay for Me!"
The United States of America will probably be at 250 million vaccinated by next month and will be entirely re-opened by July with some caveats and eceteras. Canada? We're lucky if we get those numbers by the end of the year or more at this rate.
Celebrities? You gotta show people you are getting the vaccine. Wait... are there even any Canadian celebrities? Fergie Jenkins was born in Chatham Ontario but is more famous in Chicago (where he's gonna get a statue next year... congrats Fergie). He's more American.
Who's Canadian and getting it and showing it and being proud? I don't know. I saw actually the Tennis star, Genie Bouchard, on twitter showing she got it, I think. Other than that... I can't think of anyone. I really believe the hesitancy rate in Canada is even double or triple that of the USA.
We can't open until it hits a certain level... I don't know what it is actually... but I would estimate it is 90% of vulnerable (55+) people. Canada won't get there until 2022 at this rate.
Canada's route with this is to continually punish people until they get through this crisis. We can't go outside until we get all the vulnerable people done it seems. Curfew is 8pm and it is heavy fines to go outside and stuff. It's a measure that won't work.... the key to this now is celebrities showing they got it so the hesitant portion of the vulnerable population gets it in turn. That's what, I think, USA's path to success was.
Who's a Canadian celebrity who could convince 55+ people to get the vaccine? Hmmmmm. I don't know. Who's famous here? Hockey people no? Can we show like Wayne Gretzky getting it?
Here's my idea okay... and this IS NOT a joke. Okay. This WILL reduce Canadian Vaccine Hesistancy by a huge margin. Alright this is an idea for a commercial that would air on the main Canadian channels that elderly people watch like CBC and uhhhh..... CTV.... and uhhhhh.... I think those are the only two Canadian channels now.
So.... here it goes... this commercial should air 50 times per day....
A darkly lit arena lights up. The crowd is empty. Lo.... who is skating in this barren well-lit arena? Surely it shan't be Wayne Gretzky? Oh my... surely enough it shall! Why is he alone in this arena skating all by his lonesome? Oh my... he's skating to center ice.... there's some sort of table there waiting for The Great One...
....SKKSKSKSKSKSKSSKSKSKKHKSHKSSHKSHKSHKSHKSHKSHSKHKHS!
(sound of ice skates stopping briskly and ice shavings shoot up all over the person waiting for him at center ice!)
"Oh wow! Nice to see you here, Wayne Gretzky! What brings you to center ice?" says the Doctor.
"I'm here for my vaccine, Doctor Alice." says Wayne Gretzky.
(Note: The Doctor is HOT. So more people think it's cool and good.)
"You don't say? Roll 'em up Great One let's see what you win!"
(He has a coffee cup tie-in... because if there's one thing Canadians trust is a coffee shop named after a hockey player!)
....Wayne skates away from center ice and takes a massive slap shot into an open net and the puck tears through the netting! Wow!
"I just got mine.... YOU should too.... take it from ME... Wayne Actual Gretzky... the greatest hockey player who ever lived... ten times better than anyone else!" Says The Great One Wayne Gretzky.
Vaccine Hesitancy? After that commercial you'd be lucky if people aren't rioting to get one after this spot!
(Note: For French Language spots Wayne can be replaced with Mario Lemieux)
THE END
(After Note: This is not a joke or satire or anything. I truly believe the higher rate in Canada than the USA in vaccine hesitancy is due to the lack of famous and respected Canadians who are superly known in Canada saying and being proud that they got it.)
